Wolf Road
by RinBaby
Summary: After the defeat of Voldemort Harry must find solace to heal his fractured mind and soul. With the help of Remus, Harry is thrust into the world of the X-men. In a new world can Harry put the past behind him or will he fall into the darkness? Slash.
1. Prologue

AN: Welcome to my new story. This is a Harry Potter and X-men crossover. I gained the idea to start writing from a depressing song and after doing some research I found a plot for this short intro. The story takes place when Harry is seventeen and has come into his full magic inheritance, thus finally being able to defeat old moldy shorts. The cost of the war is high, as you'll soon find out, and I hope that I can keep the emotional integrity of this story up to par. At this moment in time I am leaning towards a Logan/Harry pairing, if anyone has other ideas on this topic feel free to tell me before I get too far.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter universe or the X-men universe.

Wolf Road

He cried. The tears flowed down his pale, gaunt, cheeks leaving a trail that told of the journey and its final conclusion. The wet tracks reflected the image of five large, burning, funeral pyres. Green eyes wouldn't waver from the horrible sight; somehow he felt it was his penance.

Hundreds had been killed in the war that had finally ended in the three-day battle that started on Halloween. Voldemort's attack wasn't unexpected. Harry had felt the Dark Lord growing restless in the days preceding his demise. Even though the light only had a few days to prepare, McGonagall had managed to call Order members, Aurors, parents of students, and as a last resort DA members, to help in the upcoming battle. Fighting side-by-side, the members of the light were overwhelmed by the sheer ferocity of the Death Eaters. Despite the light having almost twice as many witches and wizards it was a tough fight. Light users hesitated to kill meaning that a muttered_ rennervate _generally did the trick to bring any dark user back into the fray.

Two days had passed before anyone got a solid look at the evil behind the mayhem. Lord Voldemort appeared beside the great lake, his crimson eyes narrowed into slits at the destruction before him. Very few Death Eaters were still able to shoot spells, the light side having finally succumbed to the need to kill the enemy in order to survive. At the arrival of Voldemort Harry had been forced to confront the monster. Prophecy ringing in his mind, Harry had fought tooth and nail for victory, for revenge, for solace. Finally, in a last ditch effort to succeed, Harry's magic responded to his need and surged up from deep within his core to reach out and erase Voldemort from the known universe. In a bright flash of white power the dark lord burned to ash.

He was the only one left. The trio cut down to one. Moony clasped his shoulder tight, grounding him. Harry felt the world move around him as mourners slowly left the side of the lake to take refuge in the castle.

"I can't." The whisper was little more than a broken sob but the wolf made out his cub's words.

"Can't what, cub?" the wolf's eyes flashed with sympathy as he looked upon the face of the young savior.

"I can't stay here. I'll die, and, and I just can't do that to them. We… we made a pact that we would continue on, no matter what. 'Never give up, never surrender'." Harry's jaded eyes stared deeply into the flames that held his friends bodies. He felt that each for moment they were still apart of the earth he would be there for them. They had died to save him, it was the last thing he could do to honor their sacrifice.

Moony mentally flinched at the thought that his pack member didn't want to be on the earthly plane. His duty as alpha demanded that he protect his cub from harm. In that moment Remus made up his mind. "I vow, upon my magic and life, that I Remus Lupin, will find a place for Harry Potter where he will not be known as the savior, where he can heal. This I can do for you. The rest is up to you cub." The soft yellow light from Moony's vow glowed bright for a moment and then faded slowly into both men as the wolf-man's pact was accepted into their magical cores.

At his mentor's words Harry finally pulled his stinging eyes away from the burning mounds. Harry's mind was chaos; he was scared, angry, and overwhelmingly grateful. The fear came from the fact that Moony would die if he failed. The anger stemmed from Harry not wanting any more pity. Lastly, the gratefulness came from within; he knew that those words would be the beginning of the rest of his life. "Oh, Remus. You-"

The older man smiled thinly, holding a finger to Harry's lips, stopping the flow of words from his cub's mouth. "You deserve the world Harry, short of that, I can give you refuge. Ron and Hermione would want you to be happy, to not live your life in the shadows miserable."

Harry nodded and, with one last look at the now dying flames of the funeral pyres, turned his back to the castle. He walked resolutely into the woods where he changed into his inner beast as the shrubbery hid his form.

Moony followed closely behind his cub, lost in thought.

AN: So that is the end of the prologue. It's been awhile since I've written anything and so I am a little (a lot) insecure in my abilities. Any feedback is appreciated.


	2. Step One

Chapter 1

A week after the mass funeral Harry was found sitting curled up in one of the wingback chairs in the Black library. Remus was obsessed with fulfilling his vow and wouldn't rest until he had searched the whole collection. Dobby had taken to delivering their meals on gold eating trays, as neither man would leave the library.

Harry didn't mind reading through seemingly worthless books, it was nice to be able to relax and hide out from all the reporters and ministry officials. The reporters wanted his version of his win over the he-who-must-not-be-named and the annoying ministry officials kept trying to offer him jobs. No one seemed to remember that Harry was supposed to be finishing his seventh year, which he had little time to devote to before or after the final battle. It was hard to attend school while preparations for battle were needed and even more difficult to enter the building in which the memories of his dead friends would haunt him. Harry was actually shocked that Hogwarts had re-started classes only five days after the funeral. It seemed almost dismissive of all that had changed.

Remus' loud yell broke through Harry's musings, "What?"

Remus stood abruptly and jogged to his cub's side. "I found the solution! It may seem far-fetched but for the past two days I've been researching the validity of the claim. In ancient times, around the time of the founders of Hogwarts actually, the Aurora Borealis was said to hold the key to the universe. The magical energy of the lights is off the charts and some have reported hearing sounds coming from them. This book here claims that the Aurora is actually a gateway between different universes, if one were to enter into the light it is said that one would find themselves in a new world, similar but different. I have followed up the claim until I found the diary of Dynamos Faraday, his writings tell of his wish to be in the great light and jumping into it only to find himself in an alternate world, where suddenly he could do magnificent things, like magic. Looking closer at the claim I also found out why not anyone can travel between universes. In Faraday's world he already had a special talent, much like Apparateing, where he could travel anywhere with a thought. I hypothesized that only those with innate magical ability can jump between worlds, that and the ability to enter the phenomenon directly. The reason the wizarding world as a whole doesn't know of this is simple, fear. It is rumored that that much magical energy entering a person would cause their core to overload and their magic to no longer be housed within them, leaving the person a squib. I know the risks-"

Harry cut off the rambling wolf with a sharp whistle, "The risk is becoming a squib. The unknown is whether or not the world I would enter would be a better one than this. Judging from your excitement, despite the holes in the escape route, I trust that you know that I don't care about the risks as long as I keep my promise. I am not giving up I am re-strategizing, this world is no longer for me. I can't join the muggle world and I can't live in a world where every moment is like a minute under the Cruciatus Curse. I will take my chances with the unknown. Now, hand me Faraday's journal and I will go over it while you eat your lunch that Dobby brought in an hour ago."

Remus nodded his head in mute agreement as he handed over the diary. In a daze the wolf sat at the mahogany desk that had been his everything for the past week. Indeed there was a covered gold platter sitting on the edge of the worn wood, pulling the tray over Remus picked at his food in thought. His cub had changed immensely, in the past year and a bit, since Sirius had died. The gentle, naïve, brash, boy had disappeared. In his place sat a soldier that was hardened and broken, a leader who no longer wished to be in control.

After Harry had gone over Dynamos Faraday's account of his jump and Remus had finished lunch they had done some more research on the Aurora Borealis. Apparently their last chance at the phenomenon during the autumn equinox would be that very night. According to their research the lights hadn't been so bright since September 2, 1859 and weren't expected to be that powerful during the summer equinox, it seemed like luck was finally on his side.

Now, all they needed was a jump point. Remus thought that Harry shouldn't worry about where it was because no matter where he left from the place he arrived at would be different. Harry agreed but thought that it would be better if he jumped in an area that he didn't know so that when he arrived he wouldn't compare differences. In the end Harry won out and chose the United States because he had never been and thought it would be great fun to jump from the nation of opportunities. Remus had shook his head at his cub's strange sense of humor but inside he had felt hope, Harry had finally shown a glimpse of the boy he once was. Maybe, just maybe, this jump would be able to save him.

Sitting at the obnoxiously clean kitchen table in an immaculate kitchen Harry and Remus pored over a large map of the USA. Dobby would pop in every five minutes to check their drinks and make sure that the stack of cookies was being eaten. The little elf knew that his young master was leaving and wanted to do everything in his power to make sure that his master was well looked after. Dobby didn't expect his master to say goodbye, he knew the war had made it so that master Harry despised goodbyes, so the elf was saying goodbye through food. Just after Dobby had popped out of the kitchen once more, Harry blurted out, "You aren't coming with me."

Of all the shocks of the day that Remus had endured this one was the most devastating. The wolf in the man got angry; whom did cub think he was to order the alpha around? "Absolutely not! I am going with you no matter what."

Harry's deep green eyes locked with the wolf's amber ones, the look was serious and yet apologetic. "You can't," at Remus' stiffening muscles the teen rushed on, "just hear me out, then you can yell ok?" Remus nodded his head in a slow affirmative, "I have two reason's. One, we don't know how being a werewolf will be affected by the jump. You may lose your humanity altogether. Two, we might not even end up in the same world. You have everything to lose by attempting to go with me. Here you have Tonks, soon she'll be done with all the Auror paperwork from the battle, and you can start a good life with her." Harry's voice was gentle and placating, rational.

The wolf in Remus calmed down enough for him to realize that Harry was right. "Fine. You may be right, but that doesn't mean that I like letting you go on alone. Know that I love you Harry, please never forget that. Be safe; never give up and never surrender."

"I love you too Moony, I won't fail you." Harry's voice was little more than a whisper but Remus' advanced hearing caught every word and locked them in his heart.

Harry decided that the heavy mood needed to break and determined that the only way to do that was to change the subject. "How about Boston?"

"Why there?"

"Come on Remus, it's the capital of New England. Why would I go anywhere else?" The words were said with such seriousness that it took a moment to realize that Harry was joking with him.

"It sounds perfect for a rebel like you."

"Good." Harry's eyes glittered for a brief moment before darkening to their usual flatness.

"There's a four hour time difference so it should be about one in the afternoon there. I suggest that you leave as soon as it gets dark, in about five hours, so that you aren't running around in an unknown world at two in the morning. If the time even stays the same…" Remus lost his train of though when it was suddenly derailed by the fact that he didn't know much about where he was sending his cub. "Are you sure you want to go through with this Harry?"

"For the last time, yes. I have nothing to lose. The world that I'm going to couldn't be any worse for me than this one." The teen's voice was hard and brooked no argument. Remus backed down; he knew this was the only chance Harry had at being normal.

During the few hours Harry had to get ready, he went to Gringotts to put his affairs in order. One third of his vaults went to Remus; another third to the remaining survivors of the Weasley clan; and the last third went to the only place he had called home, Hogwarts. The goblins were discrete about the whole process and asked no questions. Even if the Minister of Magic wanted to know where his money had gone the Minister would never get the information. Harry wrote a brief note to Mrs. Weasley explaining his departure and asking her to forgive him. A second letter was written to McGonagall asking her to put the funds into making sure that students that needed a home during summer holidays would be able to stay at the school.

Harry's trip into the wizarding world and subsequent letter writing had taken up the five hours that they had allotted. All that was left to do was to actually leave.

"_Portus_." Harry whispered the spell, anticipation flowing through his veins.

"Good luck, and for Merlin's sake don't get caught with that illegal portkey on you. Remember our conversation earlier. I know you'll make it." For last words Remus felt that they fell short but he couldn't think of anything else to say. All that had needed to be spoken they had covered earlier in the day.

"Moony." Harry stopped himself before he could say anything else, "Activate."

With a word Harry had left Remus' side and appeared in the main port of Boston. The bright lights of the city were amazing but the view of the Aurora Borealis floating in the sky over the ocean was mesmerizing. Looking once again over the city, Harry frowned the city lights seemed to make the light of the Aurora harder to see. He didn't want to miss and free fall into the hard pavement but Apparateing into the lights over the ocean wasn't an option. For all Harry knew, he could end up in the ocean and drown within minutes of arriving at his new home. He would take his chances on the lights over the city; he would just have to aim very carefully. If he could save the wizarding world then he could definitely do this. A bright streak of green caught his attention and Harry focused on it intently, mentally preparing himself before jumping into the unknown.

--------X--------

Charles Xavier mentally jerked as Cerebro suddenly shifted directions to focus on Boston. Looking closer with his mind Xavier felt the unconscious presence of a mutant that, if by the sadness in his mind was anything to go by, needed his help. Taking note of the mutant's location, Xavier mentally called out to Jean '_Get Logan, Ororo, and Scott. You guys are heading out in ten minutes to pick up a stray._'

AN: You guys, my reviewers, ROCK! If it weren't for you this chapter would have been a long time in coming. I'm sorry for the cliffy but an update's better than no update, right? I'm looking for a beta, one that knows X-men fairly well. Please comment, even if it's to tell me my bullshit doesn't make sense.


	3. Identity

AN: I'm finally updating, but I don't feel like this chapter's as good as the other two and so I've been sitting on it.** I REALLY need a Beta, if anyone wants to edit my work please contact me, no experience with X-men necessary. There is going to be a name change for Harry, once he says his new name I'm calling him by his new name 100% of the time. **

"Talking."

'_Thoughts.' _eg. Thinking to one's self.

"_**Thought talking." **_eg. Xavier and Jean projecting words with their minds.

Chapter 2: Identity

The group of four met Xavier outside of the room that housed Cerebro. Jean had her arm around Scott, anxious to hear about the stray that had Xavier worried. Scott was shooting perturbed glances at Logan, the man seemed to be taking the whole thing as a joke and as the leader Scott couldn't have someone undermining the mission. Logan lounged against the stainless steel corridor, trying not to look like he was interested, it took something big to shake Charles up and he was curious to meet the culprit. Ororo brushed her hair behind her ear and waited patiently for instructions, she too was interested about the worry lining Xavier's eyes.

"A couple of minutes ago Cerebro picked up a mutant in Boston. The stray is unconscious and lying on a southeast pier. Due to his comatose state I was unable to glean much from his mind. I did, however, pick up a feeling of his mental state, he feels like a soldier, so be careful. Try to be calm around him and keep your tempers down." The last remark was directed at Scott and Logan with a pointed stare. Both men got the point and averted their eyes from the accusing glare. "Now, don't worry about suiting up. This is a fairly simple pick up, as I'm assuming that he will still be unconscious by the time you guys reach him. Good luck."

"You got it, Chuck." With a quick shove off the wall Logan was the first to move. Jean and Ororo smiled at the Professor and followed behind Logan, keeping up with his brisk pace. Scott nodded towards Xavier and stalked after the group. Charles Xavier let the smile drop from his face and rolled towards the medical room, he had a feeling that their new guest would be delivered there first.

The motley crew made it to the jet and within minutes left the image of the mansion behind. Jean sat beside her boyfriend as he flew the nearly undetectable jet to their destination. "We'll get there within thirty minutes." Scott's eyes never left the horizon as he spoke. Short flights demanded more concentration because of the speed of the X-jet, one centimeter off on the controls and the jet could miss the target by miles.

"Thanks," somehow knowing that they were close calmed Jean's frayed nerves, "I wonder why Charles is so worried about this guy. He's not treating him as a threat, but he's not inspiring confidence in the guy either. It's bothering me." Jean's blue eyes searched Scott's face for clues on what he thought of the situation.

"It has me on edge too. We'll soon see, I guess." Scott gave Jean a small re-assuring smile, although the action wasn't very effective because she couldn't see the whole smile, Jean relaxed a little.

Logan reclined beside Ororo and kept his thoughts to himself. While Ororo was a good lady she just wasn't someone that he felt he could confide in. There was only one person who he felt safe enough divulging his secrets with and even then it felt unbearably hard to talk to Xavier.

The new mutant intrigued him. How did a soldier get knocked out on a dock in Boston at seven at night anyways? What was the man's power? How much was Charles keeping from them when he gave them the brief, very brief, rundown of the situation? Logan growled low in his throat, the whole thing seemed fishy.

"We're here." Scott's voice broke through everyone's thoughts as the jet touched down on top of a darkened warehouse near the suspected pier. Being relatively early there was still a few people hanging out around the building, but Scott was sure that the group could evade them.

"Better now than never, bub." Logan shot at Scott before jumping out of the jet. Taking a suspicious sniff of the air Logan didn't smell any blood and let himself relax a little, their target wasn't seriously injured.

The small group followed Logan's lead through the darkened docks, as he could sense if they were close to any strangers. A few times during their short search of the docks Logan had sensed someone ahead and they changed course. Finally, after almost half an hour of searching, Logan located the young man sprawled on the pavement of a cargo ship loading pier.

Logan motioned to the group that he had found the stray and they all jogged towards the unmoving shape. As they got closer to the mutant it became obvious that he was naked. The man had severe bruising on his ribcage and lacerations covered his body. None of the marks looked fresh but they were not near done healing either. "What happened to him?" Jean asked the question, not expecting an answer, while checking the man's pulse. "His pulse is strong, let's flip him over to make sure that he doesn't have any more severe injuries before we move him." Scott kneeled beside the figure and helped Jean gently roll the man on his side. On the man's back there were more of the same types of wounds, including a few burn marks, but nothing that would indicate that it would cause harm to move him.

As Jean and Scott tended to the comatose figure, Logan studied the wounds that the mutant was covered with. From his estimation they were about a week old. A few cuts looked like claws made them; a huge bite mark scarred the mutant's forearm; the burns on the back were strange in that they were all circular and five inches in diameter; finally, the bruising on the ribcage indicated fractured ribs. The man had definitely been in a battle of some sort.

"Ok, let's get him to the X-jet, some warmth will do him good, he's shivering." Before Jean or Scott could get their hands on the man Logan rushed forward and scooped him up. Something about the new mutant put him on edge and he didn't want to let him out of his sight.

It took less time to get to the jet as the docks had cleared out considerably since the time they had arrived. Logan immediately set the young man down on a bench in the back as Ororo grabbed a blanket and Jean grabbed a thermometer. Logan took a seat near the man as Jean rushed in to check on the stranger. She made a weird humming sound when she read the thermometer but otherwise stayed quiet.

Scott had the jet in the air and on their way to the mansion in minutes and Ororo joined him up front, making sure that the weather stayed in their favor, she wanted the young man to get to the mansion quickly. After about ten minutes of keeping an eye on the stranger, he started to wake up.

"Hey there." Jean kept her voice as soft and welcoming as possible hoping not to startle the man.

Harry heard a voice and jolted, he hadn't really thought about how he would arrive in the new world, but for some reason he had thought he would be alone. By force of habit he slid his hand to his thigh where his wand was usually holstered, but this time his hand met bare flesh. Trying not to panic, Harry opened his eyes and green met blue. "Hey." Harry managed to keep the one word steady as his mind raced, '_This isn't good; I'm naked and unarmed. The only upside is that they speak English, thank Merlin for that. My head feels like it's been crushed by a bludger. I wonder what they want from me?'_

"How are you feeling?" Jean continued in with the soft tone, trying to dispel the slight panic that shone in the amazingly green orbs.

'_That's unexpected, maybe she's safe.' _Out loud Harry answered Jean with a more sure voice, but it still sounded slightly groggy, "Like I've been hit with a car. Who are you? Where am I?"

"I'm Jean and you're on the X-jet, my team found you lying passed out and naked on the pier twenty minutes ago. I can give you something for the pain if you want. Are you cold? This November weather can't have been good for you."

"Oh." Harry paused to think. '_OK. This is not good. Not good at all. My trunk and wand didn't make it with me. I have nothing. Merlin!' _"I don't need anything thanks, I'm positive that I'll feel better in a bit."

"Sure, if you need another blanket, just ask. What's your name? How did you end up on the pier?" Harry was still panicking so he didn't hear Jean's questions.

'_If I have nothing then that means that the potions Madam Pomfrey gave me to help me sleep aren't with me. This is a right mess. Why didn't Faraday mention the lack of possessions in his journal? Well it makes sense, kind of; I definitely wouldn't want people to know that I arrived in my birthday suit. Remus mentioned something about a magical core being needed for transference between worlds, maybe that's why my stuff didn't come with me...' _

Jean glanced worriedly at Ororo when the man didn't answer her questions; the white haired woman had joined the small group in the back when she heard the boy speak. He seemed to be deep in thought. Ororo gave Jean an encouraging nod while mouthing, "Ask again."

Jean nodded back and turned to the man once more, "What's your name?"

This time Harry heard her and mentally cheered, he had thought this through before he had left; he actually had an answer other than his real name. He had decided that he no longer wanted to hear the name associated with death and destruction ever again, thus a new identity, "Rafe, short for Rafael."

By this point Logan was frustrated with the whole situation. The stranger had obviously tried to go for a weapon when woken up, one that was in a thigh holster, like a gun. From the man's mannerism's he was trying to act calm while freaking out about his circumstances and he seemed to get lost in his thoughts, which could be a concussion, or it could be plotting his next move. Standing up, Logan leaned over the man.

Jean glared at him, "Logan-."

"How'd you end up on the pier and where did you get those wounds?" Logan practically snarled the words at the mutant, but he didn't look phased, almost as if he expected hostility more than kindness.

"I walked there and that's none of your business." Rafe didn't want to pick a fight, but he didn't have a valid explanation for his wounds in this world. Obviously they had seen everything and saying, rugby, wouldn't cut it, if they even had rugby in this universe.

"Logan, give Rafe some space. I'm sure that he'll tell us when he's ready." Ororo injected her reasoning skills into the situation, remembering Xavier's warning to stay calm around the soldier.

Jean smiled apologetically at Rafe as Logan snorted and sat back down. "We're just curious about the condition we found you in. It's not every day that a man is found naked on a pier."

"I guess you're right, but really, I don't remember losing my clothes. When I arrived at the pier I was fully clothed and conscious. I'm as worried about the situation as you are, if not more so, as it seems like I'm the one that was kidnapped and for all I know, you guys took my stuff. Where are guys you taking me?" Rafe's voice got louder as he talked, and realized that although he had dealt with Death Eaters, he was completely out of his element here and defenseless.

Jean looked sheepish as she turned her head to see the others reactions. Finally Scott piped up from the controls, "Relax, we're not your enemy here. I'm Scott, the white haired lady is Ororo, and the rude guy is Logan. We found you on the pier, already unclothed and unconscious and we are taking you to the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning in Salem Center, New York. The man that runs the place is the one who actually discovered you. We are taking you there to make sure that you are all right. You may leave at any time; first, just give us a chance to explain things."

Harry took a moment to absorb everything. He sensed that Scott was telling him the truth. He had no clothes and nowhere to go, and until he got clothes he couldn't do anything, there really wasn't any choice in the matter. Over all, the situation seemed to be as safe as a double potions lesson with Snape and the Slytherins. "Ok. I just have one question before we get there, does anyone have some clothes that I could borrow?"

Jean laughed at the earnest expression on the young man's face, "Of course. Ororo could you hand me Scott's backup suit?" and then as an after thought, "You don't mind, do you Scott?"

When the jet landed Logan took the lead down the ramp, gripping Rafe's arm like a vice, but the boy made no indication that Logan was causing bruises. In Rafe's mind showing any more weakness at this point would not look good to the gruff man, anyways, nothing hurt as much as the Cruciatus curse. The group frowned at Logan's strange behavior around Rafe, but didn't say anything, for all they knew Logan could have sensed something off about the young man.

A few steps from medical room Xavier rolled out to meet the group. Logan instantly let go of Rafe at the sight of the bald man and Rafe filed the information away for later. "Ah. I'm glad that you were all successful tonight. It's a pleasure to meet you, my name is Charles Xavier, but some of the kids here call me Professor." The last line was specifically addressed to Rafe.

Rafe almost stepped back at the aura of the man. He knew power when he felt it and this man before him oozed power, from experience it was usually best to be on the good side of powerful men. "It's a pleasure to meet you sir. My name is Rafael, but everyone calls me Rafe."

Xavier felt a hint of a lie in the newcomer's words but he let it slide for the moment, wanting to get the man checked out before interrogating him properly, head injuries were something that the psychic didn't want to meddle with. "Please come into the med room, Jean will just do a couple of tests."

"Ok." Rafe agreed out loud but under his breath he mumbled, "Stupid med rooms, can't stay out of one for more than a week. What is this, the fifteenth time this year? _Great_." Logan, with his advanced hearing, was the only one to catch the stranger's words and he frowned at the implications.

The tests weren't too invasive. Jean took some x-rays, a MRI, a routine physical, and a vial of blood. Rafe felt strange about the vial of blood that she had taken. Blood was something that could be used against him, just like fourth year, but he didn't protest because for all he knew this world did blood tests routinely.

"So what's your ability?" Jean casually asked as she waited for the machine to check his blood.

"My what?"

"Your mutant ability, Cerebro, Xavier I mean, wouldn't have found you if you didn't have a power."

Rafe suddenly had a flashback to Faraday's journal, and his one and only ability to jump locations. Unfortunately he didn't know what type of power he would have on the other side of his jump. He hadn't tried any magic yet.

"I don't know." Rafe answered with the truth and hoped that it wasn't the wrong answer.

The look on Jean's face confirmed his suspicions, apparently he had answered wrong. "What do you mean you don't know? How old are you?" Jean would have guessed that he was sixteen by his short height but the knowledge that he was a soldier reminded her that he had to be at least eighteen.

"Seventeen, why?" '_What does age have to do with this?'_ Rafe was extremely confused when Jean reacted even worse to this new information. Jean was tempted to read the boy's mind, he had to be lying, how could a seventeen year old be a soldier and also not know his ability. Xavier's voice interrupted her thoughts, "_**Calm down Jean, once your tests are done send him to my office and I'll get to the bottom of this." **_Jean took a deep breath, looked at the machine running the blood work, looked at Rafe's confused face and mentally replied to the Professor, _**"Thanks, Xavier. I can send him down now. He seems to be fine, despite his healing wounds, nothing's broken and he doesn't have a concussion."**_

Rafe looked at Jean worriedly, the woman hadn't moved in a minute, only her eyes moved, as she seemed to be lost in thought. Maybe he had said something wrong, but for the life of him he couldn't figure out what he could have said.

AN: Next chapter is interrogation time. Should Xavier be able to read Rafe's mind? Or should Rafe be a closed book? I know Rafe's mutant power but I just couldn't find the right moment to have it appear. Please comment. BETA NEEDED.


	4. Puzzle Pieces

AN: By popular request I am posting another chapter of Wolf Road. I have a bit of the next chapter written, but I don't know how long it will take to finish. I have had ¾ of this chapter sitting for quite awhile before getting the courage to complete it.

"Talking."

'_Thoughts.' _eg. Thinking to one's self.

"_**Thought talking." **_eg. Xavier and Jean projecting words with their minds.

Chapter 3: Puzzle Pieces

"Lumos" Rafe whispered the charm quietly but no ball of light appeared in his cupped palm. "Lumos." He whispered louder, still nothing happened. "No, no, no. There must be something left. I can't be defenseless. Please Merlin, _something._" In his panic Rafe didn't feel the change starting but as the teeth in his mouth became bigger and his finger nails grew sharper, Rafe looked up into the mirror to see himself shifting into his animagus form. '_Thank Merlin I still have Grim.'_ Down on all fours Rafe reveled in the familiarity of his inner beast. Hearing Jean growing restless Rafe shifted back and leaned over to flush the toilet

Rafe looked at himself in the mirror. His physical appearance hadn't changed any but now that he thought about it, his senses felt heightened. Things were louder, images clearer, and smells stronger. He had found his 'mutant' power. Now to face the Professor.

Jean led him through the maze like corridors to a slick stainless steel elevator. The elevator opened into a richly decorated hallway and she gently steered him to the left, down the empty corridor. They walked in silence. Jean was unsure of what to say to the young 'soldier' and Rafe was glad for silence after the loudness of the war. Soon enough they found themselves in front of an oak door and before Jean could knock the Professor's voice rang out, "Please come in, Jean and Rafe." Rafe shivered at the similarity between the Professor and his now dead mentor.

Jean opened the door and gestured for Rafe to enter, "I'll be back when you're done with the Professor. I'm sure that some food and rest will do your body good."

Rafe nodded in thanks and stepped into the large office. He kept his eyes trained on the calm face of the man seated at the far end of the room. If he didn't let his eyes wander he wouldn't be able to see the rest of the room. If he didn't see the rest of the room his mind wouldn't be able to think about the room. He didn't want to make any more comparisons between his mentor and the man before him, the memories felt like _incendio_ had been cast on his mind. "So Professor, you wanted to talk to me?"

While Rafe had been looking at the Professor, the Professor had been taking stock of the boy in front of him. Rafe walked with his back straight, steps measured and almost silent; stealthy and dangerous. Rafe's green eyes spoke of horrors that would never be forgotten. The young face was aged beyond its years by the simple presence of those eyes.

"Yes, please take a seat," Rafe took the comfortable leather chair indicated, his eyes never wavering. Xavier felt all his questions battling for precedence and decided to get them all out in the open. This way Rafe could lead the direction of the conversation and hopefully divulge more about himself. "I want to know more about you. How you came to be wounded, what your mutant power is, and where you stand on the struggle between mutants and humans."

"Professor, I don't want to be rude, you've taken me in and given me medical treatment and clothes, but I can't answer all of your questions. Don't take this the wrong way. I will answer what I can, but what I don't answer is not because I'm trying to hide anything, but because I can't answer. If that makes any sense then I can start trying to accommodate you."

Rafe wasn't sure of what he was doing; it felt a lot like first year where he was flying by the seat of his pants. He was also fairly certain that the Professor was scanning him for lies of any kind while he was talking. He could sense something gently probing his mind, unlike his experiences with Snape; it felt almost soothing in its attempts to detect what it was looking for.

The Professor steepled his fingers and stared hard at him for a moment before responding, "Of course. I'll keep that in mind and maybe I can answer a few of your questions as well, I'm sure you have some."

"Thanks. First off, as I'm sure you can tell from my accent, I'm not from around here. I was born in England, and just recently I arrived here to start a new life. As you know, your team found me unconscious and naked on the docks of Boston. I am not really sure what got me to that state, I was carrying around quite a bit of money and a few personal possessions that now seem to be gone, one can only guess at the circumstances as I'm not sure about them myself. A week or so before I arrived here, I was in a fight for my life and that is how I received my more recent injuries. As you can imagine, I do not want to expand on that situation." Rafe gave the Professor a stern look at that, hoping that the man would not press the issue. When it looked like the man was not going to say anything, he continued, "My mutant power is a secret of mine that I am not willing to share until I get a few of my own questions answered. I'm sorry for lying to you about it earlier. Your last question has me a bit stumped; I'm not sure where I stand on the battle between mutants and humans. Is there anything else I can answer for you Professor?"

The Professor looked calm but Rafe could detect a bit of shock from the man, he could only guess at the reason behind it though. Xavier crossed his hands on his desk and leaned forward slightly, looking at Rafe like Dumbledore used to when the man had too many decisions to make.

"Rafe, I have many questions for you but I do not believe that now is the time to ask these questions. I will tell you a little about myself and this institute and then we shall see where we both stand in the morning, does that sound fair to you?"

The proposition sounded fair and if the Professor were anything like Dumbledore he would discuss the situation with his fellow "teachers" before making a decision regarding Rafe. He was no fool, Rafe knew that this was not an ordinary school, the level that he had been taken to first was obviously hidden and not in the original floor plan, and the people that had come to pick him up deferred to the man as more than just a Professor, he was their leader. The question was what was he leading them in?

"Of course Professor, please enlighten me." Rafe knew he sounded a little tense but the situation all around was starting to get to him.

"First of all, my mutant power is to read minds. I found you by using Cerebro, a machine that enhances my powers. Cerebro suddenly shifted focus to Boston and targeted in on you, as to why, I am unsure. Through Cerebro I concluded that you were an unconscious mutant and took that as a sign that you may need help, so I sent out a team to find you. This institute is a school for mutants to learn how to control their powers and to get a normal education without prejudice. The student's teachers have another job, defending our rights for the equalization of mutants and to stand against Magneto who wishes for mutants to rule over normal humans…"

By this point Rafe was starting to get overwhelmed, _'I came to a new universe for Merlin's sake! Apparently prejudice and wars are something that cross universes, but surely, what are the chances that not even twenty-four hours after I get here I'm in the middle of it all again?' _ Rafe's outward appearance didn't change but Xavier must have caught a shift in his mental state because he suddenly trailed off.

"Is there something wrong Rafe?" Xavier was getting frustrated by the readings he was getting from Rafe, he seemed to have a natural defense around his mind that only let out the odd emotion. When he was talking about the fight for his life Xavier found a great feeling of sorrow and loss and could almost picture what looked to be funeral pyres. The image was blurry, brief, and didn't seem connected to Rafe's "fight". When he had mentioned the fight against Magneto, Rafe had tensed up and the boy's mind felt busy and almost dismayed. A quick flash of a snake-like face with red eyes and then Rafe's mind seemed to calm as soon as he asked if he was all right.

While Rafe wasn't happy about the situation that he now found himself in he realized that he didn't have a choice. Destiny, fate, prophesy, whatever you want to call it, something had decided that Rafe would be involved in fighting for freedom once again. He couldn't back down from this battle, here, in this world, he was now a 'mutant' and so he had an obligation to put his best effort into the fight. _'Never give up, never surrender.'_

"No Professor, I just realized that I am exactly where I am meant to be."

-X-

The meeting had closed shortly after that and Jean appeared and led Rafe to the kitchen.

"That was a fairly short meeting." Jean hedged.

"Yeah, I think that he wants to have a meeting with the X-men regarding me in the morning. He isn't sure if I should be a student, teacher, or X-man and he seemed reluctant to press further for answers."

"That's unusual for him." Jean didn't know how to act around the teen. Xavier usually wasn't so hesitant and vague. The only indication that Rafe was welcome at the school was the fact that the boy wasn't gone already.

Rafe muffled the snort of laughter that wanted to escape at Jean's remark. He was always the anomaly and apparently the same held true here. Rafe sighed and ran his hand through his hair, he guessed that he was being rude by not opening up to the strangers who took him in, but even after all the years with his friends interaction with people still confused him.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" Jean stopped walking and turned to look at him, her face looking earnest.

"I'm not being very forthcoming. I can tell that you all want answers before you can relax, but I can't give you answers until I get some more information myself."

Jean nodded and gestured him to turn right through a hallway, "It's alright, we understand. Now we've made it to the kitchen, are you hungry?"

"Yeah actually, I'm a little peckish."

While Jean started rummaging in the fridge, Rafe was trying not to stare at all the pristine stainless steel appliances, which were awe-inspiring. The kitchen wasn't Rafe's first clue that this world was more technologically advanced but years of cooking for the Dursley's made him more aware of changes in cookware. "Nice kitchen." The words slipped out unchecked and Logan instantly latched onto it.

"What, you some kind of chef or something?"

Rafe blinked at the unusually hostile figure and shrugged, "Nah, I know my way around a kitchen, but I'm no chef."

Jean purposely set the container of water on the counter with a clang to break up the tension between the two men. She turned to Rafe with a smile, "So, Rafe, we have coleslaw, sandwich makings, eggs, or we could cook up some KD. What would you like?"

Rafe puzzled at the word "KD" but didn't want to highlight his ignorance and so he decided to keep it simple, "Just a sandwich is fine, it's getting late and I shouldn't eat so much before bed."

Jean nodded and started pulling out what Rafe would need for his sandwich. Rafe took note of the seating in the kitchen and grabbed a stool a couple down from Logan at the island.

Jean sat between the two and tried to act as a buffer between Logan and his new target of study. Despite Jean's efforts Logan was staring at Rafe as the teen made his sandwich. Rafe wasn't sure if he wanted to confront the man or not. The man gave off some violent vibes but he also seemed protective in his actions. Rafe silently sighed, _'My first night in this new universe is just on the right side of pear shaped. I don't want any conflict and yet I can't even eat my bloody sandwich in peace.'_

"You guys have some questions for me?" Rafe asked as a kind of truce. He took a bite of his turkey and lettuce sandwich and savored the simple fare.

Jean looked over at Logan, who winked at her, and sighed, "So the Professor told us that you have the mental feel of a soldier, could you explain?"

Rafe swallowed hard on his food and tried not to snort in dismay at the question. "Right. Of course you'd start off with the hard question."

Logan narrowed his eyes at Rafe and was about to comment on the statement when the teen started talking.

"I don't know what I'm legally allowed to tell you," which was true as Rafe reflected on it. The magical statute of secrecy would normally stop him from revealing anything but this universe, as far as he knew, didn't have a law like that.

Logan snorted, "Right. You were working for MI6?" the derision was clear in his tone.

Rafe tried not to snap at the man, "No." Rafe ran his fingers through his hair. _'I wish I had thought up a cover story, but maybe the truth won't hurt anything.'_

Jean rested her hand on Rafe's shoulder in a comforting motion. "It's ok, just tell us what you can." The concern shone through in her expression and Rafe suddenly knew where to start. He wasn't sure if it was the red hair or the motherly gesture but he knew that he should start with his mom and dad.

"Before I was born there was a terrorist that my parents were working against to "take down". They did so much damage to his cause and his followers that they became a prime target. My mom was pregnant with me and so my parents were put in a safe house with only one person who knew where they were hiding. After I was born they were betrayed and the terrorist came after them. He murdered my parents and he was about to kill me when he was severely injured. He managed to evade capture and went into hiding. When I was eleven I was sent to the same boarding school that my parents had gone to. That's when the terrorist started his uprising again. By this point he had a grudge against me because in his twisted mind it was my fault that he was injured. Year after year we had minor confrontations until, when I turned seventeen, he finally had enough followers to wage war against my school and the government. I led the battle at my school against his men for a while before he finally showed up himself. In the end it came down to the terrorist and I fighting one on one, and only I came out alive. I lost a lot in that battle. I came here to escape that life." Rafe couldn't look at the mutants beside him while he was talking. He had to separate himself from the story in order to tell it without dwelling on the details. His story, even without the magic, seemed unreal and he wasn't sure how they would react.

While Rafe was talking Scott had come into the kitchen, he wrapped his arms around Jean's waist, resting against her he examined the teen while the story unfolded. The teen had managed to condense more than seventeen years worth of information into just a few sentences and yet he managed to cover the highlights of the events.

No one said anything after Rafe finished his story, even Logan was finding it hard to say something against the teen. The tale seemed outlandish and didn't make sense when one thought about how they should have heard about something like that, and yet… the small group found it hard to not believe Rafe's story. It was obvious that the mental wounds were still fresh and the teen's eyes held such deep anguish.

Rafe broke the silence first, "Is there somewhere I could sleep?" He really wasn't tired and did not think that he could sleep after all that had happened, but he couldn't stand the looks that they were giving him.

"Of course, I grabbed a pair of pajama's for you to borrow for tonight and set up a room for you on the second floor. I'll show you the way." Scott kept his tone casual, as it was obvious that Rafe was uncomfortable with the situation.

After Rafe and Scott had left the kitchen, Jean started clearing up Rafe's half eaten sandwich. "I should have let him eat before asking that question."

The statement wasn't directed at Logan but he could tell that the redhead wanted some input. He took a long swig of his coke, wishing that is was a beer instead, and thought about the teen's reactions. "Probably, but I also think that the reason that he answered wasn't just because you asked. You must remind him of someone."

Jean was silently impressed with Logan's unusually wordy answer. "I think you're right. I just hope that the meeting tomorrow morning will allow him to stay. I get a feeling that we're the environment he needs right now."

Logan didn't answer, but he had a similar feeling.

AN: Next chapter has more drama. Should the X-men's meeting be written out in detail or should only the conclusion be revealed? Please comment. Thank you all for your kind and motivational reviews.


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